Masculinity and the Bible: Survey, Models, and Perspectives

Most characters in the Bible are men, yet they are hardly analysed as such. Masculinity and the Bible provides the first comprehensive survey of approaches that remedy this situation. These are studies that utilize insights from the field of masculinity studies to further biblical studies. The volume offers a representative overview of both fields and presents a new exegesis of a well-known biblical text (Mark 6) to show how this approach leads to new insights.

By presenting the field of masculinity studies, the volume performs a service for those working in biblical studies and related disciplines, but have not explored this approach yet. At the same time, the volume shows, by surveying the past two decades of publications in the field, what results have been achieved so far and where open questions remain. In the exegesis of Mark 6, it becomes clear that one of these challenges, the often very specific and intersectional character of masculinity, can be addressed successfully when consciously combining approaches such as narrative and ritual analyses.

Peter-Ben Smit (Ph.D., 2005, University of Berne, Switzerland; ThD, 2011, General Theological Seminary, New York; Dr. theol. Habil., 2009, University of Berne) is Professor of Contextual Biblical Interpretation in the Dom Hélder Câmara Chair at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Professor by special appointment of Ancient Catholic Church Structures at Utrecht University, Research Associate at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria, and Dean of the Diocese of Haarlem. His publications in the field of biblical studies include: Jesus Traditions in the Construction of Masculinities in World Christianities (ed. with Adriaan van Klinken), special issue of Exchange (42:1; 2013) and with Ovidiu Creanga (eds.), Biblical Masculinities Foregrounded (Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2014).